Wisconsin Lakes Policy Agenda 2013-14

Prior
to the beginning of each two-year session of the Wisconsin legislature,
the staff and Board of Directors of Wisconsin Lakes indentify the areas
of public policy that we deem of crucial interest to our lakes and
waters in the coming year, and decide on any specific actions we plan to
take to further the public policy elements of our mission.

The
document below is the result of that process for the 2013-14
legislative session. We've indicated the areas of concern and our basic
organizational position on each, and for many included a specific action
that we hope to take during the session. Of course, we monitor the
actions of the legislature, governor, DNR, and other agencies and will
react to any public policy issues that impact lakes as needed,
regardless of whether they appear on this Agenda.

If you prefer, a PDF copy of the Agenda is available at the bottom of this page.

Wisconsin Lakes' 2013-14 Public Policy Agenda

The
mission of Wisconsin Lakes is to conserve, enhance, and restore our
lakes by fostering responsible lake stewardship and by promoting
effective, beneficial environmental public policy. Countless
Wisconsinites and others from all over the world enjoy our lakes every
year, and we cherish the cultural, environmental, and economic force
those water bodies represent.

This
agenda is Wisconsin Lakes' statement of where we plan to focus our
advocacy work in the coming year to best protect our lakes, and
identifies areas of growing concern that we will continue to monitor and
act upon as necessary.

Areas of Primary Focus

Aquatic Invasive Species

Aquatic
invasive species in our lakes and streams are a serious threat that
Wisconsin has been dealing with for a long time, and no doubt will
continue to grapple with into the foreseeable future. Wisconsin Lakes
applauds the massive amount of work being done on this issue, from the
Capitol on down to unpaid volunteers patrolling boat landings. We
support continued efforts and enhanced funding that seeks to control AIS
not only on a lake-by-lake basis, but also on a watershed, regional,
and statewide basis.

♦ 2013-14 Action Item: A Proposal to Control AIS in Inland Waters for the 2013-15 State Budget.
Wisconsin Lakes issued a six point proposal for the state budget
detailing new programs to combat AIS in our inland waters and a package
of potential funding sources for those programs. Wisconsin Lakes will actively promote and advocate for this proposal to be included in the state budget for 2013-15.

Groundwater Management

Scientific
evidence clearly links groundwater and surface water. Our lakes and
rivers are impacted by problems of groundwater quality (e.g. pollutants
from leaking septic systems or from farm fields reaching lakes from
groundwater inflowing into the lake) and quantity (e.g. lake levels
dropping when an aquifer connected to the lake is drawn down by high
capacity well pumping). Wisconsin Lakes believes groundwater must be
managed in concert with surface waters in a way that does not negatively
impact our lakes.

♦ 2013-14 Action Item: Preserve the groundwater-surfacewater connection established in the Lake Beulah v DNR (2011 WI 54) Wisconsin Supreme Court decision:
Recently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that DNR's duty to uphold
the public trust doctrine extended to regulating groundwater withdrawals
when those withdrawals impact lake levels, establishing a connection
between ground and surface water regulation. Wisconsin Lakes will
monitor legal and legislative challenges to this holding, and where
feasible take action to prevent it from being weakened or overturned.

Phosphorus & Polluted Runoff

Nuisance
algae problems are caused by the overabundance of nutrients (mostly
phosphorus) in Wisconsin's lakes and streams. These nuisance conditions
are detrimental to the environmental health of lakes and erode their
economic and cultural impact. Wisconsin Lakes supports policies that
reduce phosphorus and other pollutants in our waters.

♦ 2013-14 Action Item: Full Implementation of Existing Phosphorus Administrative Rules:
In December 2010, Wisconsin's new phosphorus water quality standards
and point source effluent limits took effect. These rules, unique in the
nation, offer flexibility for businesses to meet the new standards. Wisconsin Lakes will continue to monitor the implementation of the new standards, with an eye towards the following:

•
Ensuring adequate funding under the rules for adaptive management
programs that help municipalities, industries and farmers work together
to lower the phosphorus load in a watershed,

•
Bringing together stakeholders including the Department of Natural
Resources to help develop Wisconsin's Nutrient Management Strategy to
provide a comprehensive picture of nutrient management activities for
both point and nonpoint sources in Wisconsin,

What
happens on the shores of our lakes greatly impacts the entire water
body. Wisconsin Lakes supports reasonable policies of shoreland
management that protect the lake environment, thereby maximizing the
cultural, environmental, and economic value of the lake system for all
users.

♦ 2013-14 Action Item: Ensure NR115 retains strong standards for shoreland protection.
NR115, the Department of Natural Resources rules that regulate
shoreland development in the state, was recently placed in revision
mode, despite a recently completed ten-year revision process. The
resulting rules are currently being implemented by the counties with a
deadline of 2014. If revisions are to be made, Wisconsin Lakes will
work with the DNR and other stakeholders to advocate for modifications
and revisions to NR115 that are protective of lake and watershed health.

♦ 2013-14 Action Item: Modification of Recent Legislation Concerning Nonconforming Structures (Act 170):
2012 Act 170 modified existing law such that a county is now prevented
from enacting shoreland zoning standards that regulate non-conforming
structures in a manner more stringent than the state standards, and must
allow construction on substandard lots in certain circumstances. Wisconsin
Lakes opposed this bill on the basis that local governments should be
able to regulate their own zoning activities based on their own
priorities and needs. Wisconsin Lakes will seek modifications to this
law to restore flexibility to the counties in shoreland ordinance
development.

Building a Watershed Approach to Public Policy

A
lake is impacted not just by what happens in its waters out from the
shore, but also what happens on its shoreland zones, and even what
happens on the lands from where its waters drains – its watershed.
Wisconsin Lakes believes that public policy decisions regarding the
waters of the state must be made with a watershed basis in mind, rather
than separate decisions for lakes, decisions for wetlands, etc. With
this in mind, we will work with state government, DNR and other
agencies, and local governmental bodies to approach issues from a
watershed basis.

Educating Citizen Advocates

The
best way to ensure good public policy for lakes is to have an
effective, educated citizenry advocating for just such a policy.

While
Wisconsin Lakes is not planning specific legislative activity in the
following issue areas in 2013, we recognize each as a key area of public
policy that impacts our lakes. We continue to work to increase our
understanding of and refine our position on each area, so that we are
ready to react if and when it becomes necessary.

Lake Level Management:
In lakes where the depth is managed by human control, disputes
frequently arise over the level at which the lake should be maintained.
Wisconsin Lakes believes that the best management plan for a lake's
level is one that maintains a healthy aquatic ecosystem and takes into
account the cultural and economic needs of all those who benefit from
the lake.

Mining:
As with most activities, mining of any kind inevitably impacts the
environment surrounding the mine. At the same time, mining may
positively impact local and regional economies, and can produce needed
materials. Because of these realities, Wisconsin Lakes is not
categorically opposed to mining, but believes that it must be conducted,
as any activity must be conducted, in a manner that reduces negative
impacts on our waters and preserves the many cultural and economic
benefits those waters provide.